Automatic train pipe coupling head



July 5, 1938. J. ROBINSON 2,122,439

'AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING HEAD Filed Dec. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l JUEY 5, 1938. J RQBINSON 2,122,439

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING HEAD Filed Dec. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 5, 1938. J. ROBINSON 2,122,439

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING HEAD Filed Dec., 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 B 7 Patented July 5, 1938 AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING HEAD Joseph Robinson, New

York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Roy M. Wolvin, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,831

7 Claims.

My invention provides an improved coupling head for automatic train pipe connectors in which the maximum of gathering range is combined with the maximum compactness. This is accomplished by a novel arrangement of guiding means which include a forwardly extending flaring guiding prong and inclined walls which converge to form a funnel, in association with a guiding pinor ball member that co-acts with said inclined walls when opposing coupling heads couple under conditions of disalignment. A coupling head made in accordance with my invention will be relatively small and yet it will negotiate conditions of vertical disalignment in recess of 12" and conditions of lateral disalignment in recess of 8".

Other advantages will appear in the following description and from the accompanying drawings'in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved coupling head;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of my improvement;

Figure 4; is a plan view thereof;

Figure 5 is a vertical elevation of two of my improved coupling heads connected together, as seen from the rear of one thereof; Figure 6 is a plan view of the base A of my improved head showing a modification therein. In this view the guiding means are broken away; and

Figure 7 is a front elevation, on regular scale,

of the base A of my improvement illustrating a further modification therein. In this view the guiding means are also broken away. Any suitable means may be employed to yieldingly support my improved coupling head from the car coupler or from the car itself. In my co-pending application filed November 26, 1934, Serial'No. 754,889, an efficient form of support for this purpose is shown and described. The flat vertically disposed generally oblong base A of my improvement is provided on its Vertical center line with a sleeve or shank i having an opening 2 therethrough to receive the support. Normally a gasket is suitably mounted in the opening with its front face lying approximately in the plane of the coupling face of my improved head. The base Ais provided with a pair of forwardly extending, outwardly and vertically flaring wings or prongs B and C each of which is joined by the inclined converging walls 3 of a funnel guiding member D. The apex of the funnel lies behind the base A and unites the Walls 3 at the end of their rearward flare.

A portion of the outer edges 4 and 5 of the wings or prongs B and C lie generally in the Vertical plane. From these points they turn inwardly and join or merge with the flaring Walls 3 which comprise the funnel D. The outer edge 5 of the wing C joins the base A at or near the vertical center line of the latter, as shown at 6 in Figures 1 and 3, and conforms for a short lateral distance to the outline of the bottom of the base A. This shape may also be given to the base I of the prong 4 if desired. Preferably I join this-prong to the vertical side of the base A, and there end the base I of the prong, in order to permit additions to be made to the top of the base'A without preventing efficient interchange between my improved coupling head and a companion head not provided with the addition. The lower prong C may if desired be likewise arranged, or both prongs may be arranged on the base A each alike.

At its edge 8 the base is turned or flared rearwardly to meet the walls 3 of the funnel D. Its opposite edges 9 are also flared or turned rearwardly. This may be accomplished either by a radius at this point or the whole portions [6 of the base, above and below the horizontal center of the base, may be angled or inclined rearwardly, as shown in Figure 4. This arrangement has the effect of increasing the gathering range of my improved head under certain conditions. A somewhat similar increase in gathering range can also be procured by removing the portions l0 entirely as shown in Figure 6.

The apex of the funnel D is provided on its front face with a machined annular seat H which receives the blunt machined front face of the ball l2 of a mating coupling head, as shown in Figure 5. lhe ball is attached to or is formed integral with the'outer end of a laterally and forwardly extending vertically narrow hollow arm E formed integral with the base A or otherwise secured thereto. The ball and the seat H occupy the same horizontal plane, and both are spaced an equal distance laterally on opposite sides of the vertical center line of the base or coupling head A. The arrangement is such that when mating heads couple, Figure 5, the ball [2 rests firmly in the seat of a mating head as aforesaid, a position of these parts which accurately aligns the openings 2 in the heads and holds the mated heads securely against disalignment while coupled. The seat ll may if desired be formed of a plurality of inwardly extending lugs such as shown, and for the purpose stated, in my aforesaid co-pending application. Preferably the diameter of the ball I2 at its point of engagement with the seat is such as to avoid damage to the connector gasket if struck by the ball under any adverse condition of surface.

The raised surfaces M of the base A serve as bearing points for the top and bottom of connected heads and, with the seats I l and balls I2, constitute a wide four point bearing contact or seat. The arrangement insures a rigid joint between mated heads when under the pressure of the buffer springs that formed a part of the head supporting means shown in my co -pending application mentioned.

The angle at which the arm E projects forwardly of the base A of the head enables its inner surface IE to act, under certain conditions, as a third guiding prong similar in operation to the lateral gathering function of the prongs B and C.

Normally, however, this member guides the heads into alignment through contact of its ball l2 with the walls of the funnel D. Suitable reinforcing webs I6 are employed to strengthen my improved coupling head at different points.

In operating under extreme vertical displace ments the lower part of the prong or wing C engages the under side of the arm E of a mating head and lifts the ball l2 into the path of the funnel D. Thereafter the funnel and the ball (or arm E) do most or all of the aligning. If a coupling is being made under a condition of extreme lateral disalignme'nt the lower edge 5 of the prong C will engage the similar portion of the counterpart prong of a mating head and carry the ball I 2 laterally into the path ofthe funnel D. Under some conditions of lateral disalignment this engagement occurs between the edges 4 of the upper prongs B of mating heads when such prongs project in front of the coupling face of the heads. Itwill be understood however, that the length of the prongs, their lateral and vertical flare, and the distance of the seat H and the ball I2 laterally from the center line of the base A, must be such as to best suit the service requirements to be imposed. The prong B may, for instance, terminate in the plane of the coupling face of the head A, or behind such plane, if desired. Similarly, the length of the arm E, and the angle of its surface l5, and the distance fromthe front face of the base A rearwardly to the vertical plane occupied by the seat ll, must be adjusted to best suit the particular operating requirements involved. If desired, the edge 8 of the base may also be angled rearwardly as at 10 in Figure 6, and the location as well as the shape and dimensions of the prongs B, C, and E may be changed to best suit the coupling requirements under consideration. They may, for instance, be shifted to the side of the base A opposite to the side occupied by them in the accompanying drawings.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic train pipe coupling head cooperating with a mating coupling head and comprising, in combination, a vertically disposed substantially flat base disposed normal to the longitudinal axis of the coupling head, a plurality of forwardly extending laterally diverging guiding prongs connected to said base, a rearwardly inclined funnel guiding member on said base, another guide member on said base, the last mentioned member traveling along one of said guiding prongs of a mating coupling head when opposing coupling heads couple under conditions of disalignment, wh reby to guide said another guide member into the funnel guiding member of the mating head.

2. An automatic train pipe coupling head cooperating with a mating coupling head and com-- prising, in combination, a base, a plurality of vertically spaced forwardly extending vertically flaring guiding members joined together by a funnel member, interposed therebetween and all disposed on the same side of the vertical center of the head, the apex of said funnel member lying behind the base of said guiding members, and an arm on the base, the arms of mating coupling heads cooperating with the guide members for aligning said heads.

3. An automatic train pipe coupling head cooperating with a mating coupling head and comprising, in combination, a base, a plurality of vertical spaced forwardly extending vertically flaring guiding members, one of which projects in advance of the other and has a greater vertical flare than the other, funnel member uniting saidguiding members throughout, and an arm, the arms and guiding members of mating heads being adapted to cooperate for aligning said heads.

4. An automatic train pipe coupling head cooperating with a mating coupling head and comprising in combination a base, a plurality of forwardly extending vertically flaring guides one of which projects in advance of said base to a greater extent than the other and is connected to said base at a point nearer the vertical center line of the base, guide means adjacent said flaring guides and a receptacle for said guide means, which receptacle lies between said guides, the guide means and said guides of mating coupling heads being adapted to align the latter with respect to each other.

5. An automatic train pipe coupling head 00- operating with a mating coupling head and comprising, in combination, a base, a pair of Vertically spaced laterally flaring guiding prongs on one side of the vertical center line of said base, a

guiding arm on the opposite side of said center line, guiding walls lying between the upper and lower edges of said prongs, and a seat on said walls for receiving said guiding arm, the guiding arms of mating coupling heads cooperatingwith the prongs thereof for aligning said heads.

6. An automatic train pipe coupling head cooperating with a mating coupling head and comprising in combination a base, a guiding member above the horizontal center line of said base and to one side of the vertical line of the base, a guiding prong on the opposite side of said horizontal center line and having a part adapted primarily to guide said head in the early stages of coupling under conditions of extreme disalignment, a wall between said member and said prong and having a seat, and a third guiding part,

the guiding member, guiding prong and wall of mating coupling heads cooperating with the third guiding part of such mating heads for aligning the same during coupling operation.

7. An automatic train pipe coupling head cooperating with a mating coupling head and comprising in combination a base, a pair of vertically spaced forwardly extending outwardly and vertically flaring guides positioned both on one side of the vertical center line of said base, a funnel member integral with said guides and having at its apex an annular seat, and an arm extending away from one side of said base and having a 

